As the War Pigs laud the capture of Saddam as justification for the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, one can’t be concerned by the manifest ignorance (of these revisionist historians) and the deleterious effects on our fragile democracy. Fortunately there is hope, as the growth of the grassroots of Howard Dean continue unabated.

As Dr. Dean correctly pointed out, with the capture of Saddam, Americans are not safer. This pointless war diverted resources away from the real “war on terror” ” al-Qaeda and militant Islam ” and into the sandy quagmire of MESS-o-potamia.

The end (capture of Saddam) cannot be viewed independent of the means ” the constant uptick in blood and treasure (450 U.S. troops and $200 billion). Not to mention the innocent civilians in Iraq. Nor the destabilizing effects (of this war) worldwide and the massive body-blow to international law. And the division this fiasco has created, with our allies and the world community, whom we need to fight the real terror war, will be felt for decades.

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Perhaps, if dittoheads like F. Singleton (or Simpleton) (Aspen Daily News, Dec. 29) would work harder to inform themselves ” and not be subjected to the relentless propaganda on (19th Century) Fox ” our great nation wouldn’t be in unwinable wars of empire (re: oil), and led by Enron-Republicans like Bush/Cheney (whose vision, incidentally, was as keen in the 1980s as now, when he voted against freedom for Nelson Mandela. Nice vote Dick. Not!)

This war was based on lies, and the capture of one man (however much a despot), who was contained and not a threat to our shores, does not change that fact.

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Here’s to a big snow year. See ya in the Bowl.

Ben Newell

Aspen